The End
by alexatheknight
Summary: "There's always an end. You can never stop it. But it will always work out. If it doesn't, then it's not the end." Why did Chad join So Random, anyway? - My last SWAC fic. Thank you for everything.


**Hello, SWAC archive. (: Long time, no see! I haven't even looked at this archive since... who knows?**

**I didn't plan on writing anymore, just having an unofficial leaving... but I had this idea. And I just _had_ to write it. Maybe someone else has thought of this, I don't know. But the inspiration was too strong to go away ;D**

**Yes, this is indeed, my last SWAC story ever. But let's not dwell on that, on with the story!**

* * *

><p>It was everywhere.<p>

Every television, radio station, news channel was playing the same story.

Despite all that, Chad didn't think it was enough.

* * *

><p>It had been two days since Chad Dylan Cooper had encountered Sonny Munroe. The memory made him smile.<p>

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good."

It was a perfect way to settle things between them once and for all. They had done it so many times, but this time...was different.

Chad didn't understand if they were friends or not. He hadn't gone back to the So Random! stage ever since then and whenever he had gone to the Commisary, she was never there. The rest of the cast was, though. Chad had considered approaching them but whenever they saw him, they would flail their arms like wings and laugh hysterically. This made Chad stay very far away.

"Chad? Are you even listening?"

"What?" Chad's eyes widened as he came back to his surroundings. He realized he was in his dressing room and at the door was a very annoyed looking girl.

"What is up with you?" Portlyn demanded. Her arms were crossed in an angry sort of manner and she looked frustrated and impatient. "Ever since you and that stupid Random broke up-,"

"She's not stupid!" he couldn't help but defend.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Wow. You _still_ like her."

Chad didn't even bother trying to deny this. "What do you want, Portlyn?"

"I figured you'd want to hear about this," she explained. "I was in the Commisary today when I overheard the little Random and the blonde Random talking about the Random you dated-"

Chad internally rolled his eyes. _Now I know how Sonny felt when I never knew their names_, he thought.

"-was apparently quitting."

"Wait. What?" he asked.

"She quit today, apparently. They said she left this morning after saying goodbye to everyone."

"But..." his voice trailed off. "She didn't say goodbye to..."

"Cause you broke up. Duh." Portlyn flipped her hair in a_ duh!_ sort of manner.

Ignoring her, Chad jumped up from his seat and ran out the door while saying, "Make up some excuse for me, will you?"

A roll of the eyes was more than enough for Chad. He raced out of Stage 2 and outside the building till he reached his car.

"Hold on, Sonny," he said, while revving the engine. "Chaddy's coming!"

* * *

><p>Chad pulled up to Sonny's apartment complex and climbed out of the car. He scurried up the steps to her place and walked to the door. His fist was just about to hit the door when he heard something.<p>

"Like I'm made of glass... Like I'm made of paper..."

Chad's heart skipped a beat. Sonny was singing. He loved her voice. It soothed him. It was beautiful.

This reminded him of the week before, when in an attempt to impress her he ended up disappointing her more than ever. He just wanted to help... Then when she stopped singing after she saw him watching? What did that mean?

Chad tapped the door two times, quickly.

A groan came from inside as he heard some shuffling and shoes clacking against the floor. "For god's sake, Mel," he heard Sonny say as she opened the door, "can't you see - _Chad?_"

"Sonny," he breathed.

"Chad," she whispered. "I thought you were, um..."

"Yeah," he understood.

Sonny stood there, unsure. "Why don't - why don't you come in?" she suggested.

Chad nodded and followed her inside. He sat on the couch and looked at her guitar and notes lying on the couch. Sonny hurriedly picked them up.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I was working on a song-"

He put his hand up. "It's okay, Sonny. What I wanna know is-,"

"-if I'm really leaving? Yep," she finished.

"Why?" he wanted to know.

She sighed. "I don't belong here, Chad. So Random! was my dream, yes, but I've grown from that."

"But-,"

"It's time I started doing some growing up," she continued. "When we broke up, it was like something clicked inside me. I'm not the same person I was a year ago. I've changed."

"It's not a bad change," Chad insisted.

"In a way, it is. I don't - I don't even remember who I was in Wisconsin. Now, the thought of living there seems foreign to me. And Chad..." she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm becoming...fragile."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Hollywood is getting to me. I cut myself two days ago, Chad."

Chad gasped. "What?"

"After we..._saw_ each other, I felt so confused and _frustrated_... I just lost it." Tears streamed down her face. "I broke down crying when I got home. I was in the bathroom and saw my razor. I felt so terrible of myself that I just..._did_ it."

"Sonny," Chad reached over and grabbed her hand. She pushed him away.

"I can't let this happen, Chad," she explained. "I know that if I stay here, I'm going to end up being one of those celebrities in rehab with everyone saying that they're insane!" she yelled. "I don't want to be that girl!" She broke down into sobs.

"But there's no way you could be that!" Chad exclaimed. "You're Sonny Munroe! You're the most confident-,"

"I used to be," she said, clearing the tears from her eyes. "But I'm not that girl anymore, Chad."

Chad looked at this beautiful girl sitting in front of him. She looked just the same as she did a year ago except for the way she held herself. Last year, she was bright and happy and confident. Now, she was sadder and had gone through some of life's hardest times. But she was stronger.

"I'm going to try and be who I was a year ago. I'm going to try to be Sonny again."

Chad looked up at her and felt himself break down as his head fell into his hands. "This is all my fault."

"No, it's not," Sonny reassured him.

"If I wasn't just so stupidly selfish-,"

"No, Chad. _I_ was stupid," she said. "I understand everything now. And thank you."

He looked up curiously at her. "For what?"

"Telling me what to do," she smiled.

Chad couldn't help but return the smile. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll miss you," he said.

"I'll miss you too," she said, tightening her grip around him as if trying to hold on but in the end she knew she had to let go.

Chad kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, Sonny."

"Goodbye, Chad," she said as she watched him leave out of her apartment.

Out of his world.

* * *

><p><em>Ding! Ding!<em>

Chad groaned loudly and pulled his fluffy blue pillow over his head, trying to get rid of the noise. After realizing it was his alarm clock, he jumped up from the bed and into the bathroom. He grabbed his toothbrush and put it in his mouth while spraying water on his tired face.

Memories of yesterday washed over him as the water trickled down his face. Sonny was leaving...

Forever.

The way she had said everything, the way she looked... For some reason, it made Chad not want to stop her.

Well, he knew he wanted to.

But Sonny didn't want him to.

He would, of course, keep in touch with her. Even if she didn't reply, he would email her frequently. He didn't want to let go of her. He refused to.

When he was done refreshing himself and changing into his Mackenzie Falls uniform, Chad sat on a small wooden table in his kitchen and began to eat the breakfast his maid had put out for him.

While munching on a pancake, he grabbed the newspaper and began to read.

He scanned the headline and raised his eyebrows.

_Teen Star Tragically Dies!_

_Teen star? Who could that be?_ Chad wondered.

_Early morning today, a young couple spotted a car flipped over on the side of the street. It was completely damaged but the real horror was what was inside the car._

_ "There was this girl," Holly Jackson, 25, weeps. "She was in the driver's seat the whole time, you see? Her whole face was...mangled. It was terrible. There was blood pouring from her head, her arms..."_

_ "It was a terrible sight," Brad Jackson, 28, reports. "The poor girl was practically done for. We took her out and drove her to the hospital."_

_"But it was too late," Holly continues. "I recognized her immediately when she was in the seat with me. Such pretty hair..."_

Pretty hair.

"You really think I have pretty hair?"

_"...a blonde brunette, I'd say. And those eyes, chocolate brown..."_

"I want to be seen with you, no matter how goofy your big brown eyes make me."

_"...could've belonged only to Sonny Munroe."_

"Hi, I'm Sonny!"

"Sonny, that's a nice name."

_Today, one of our most beloved teen stars has tragically passed from internal and external injuries. None other than Sonny Munroe, beloved So Random! star has left the world today._

"What?" was all Chad could say, think. "How?"

He had talked to her just the night before. This was impossible. This..._couldn't_ happen.

_Sources tell us Munroe was driving to LAX to go back to Wisconsin._

_ "She was tired of the fame," an inside source shares. "She felt like she was losing herself here and wanted to find herself again."_

_ Could this have anything to do with a recent breakup with the Hollywood heartthrob himself, Chad Dylan Cooper?_

_ "Yes, Chad did break Sonny's heart but that wasn't the sole reason for it," the source continues. "It did sort of get her thinking on that but she has no bad feelings with Chad. They made up."_

_ Sadly, Munroe's decision to leave Hollywood not only cost her the fame, but her own life._

_ "We were missing Sonny already since she was leaving, but atleast then we could've talked to her and know she was doing good and hope to see her again. But that's not possible anymore. We love you, Sonny. Rest in peace."_

Chad only stared at the newspaper in his hands. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

The words on the paper jumbled together in a haze as his eyes focused on the picture of her in the center of everything. She was smiling, of course. It was a picture of her when she had first joined So Random! She looked as bubbly and beautiful as she had always been then.

Tears pooled in Chad's eyes, blending with his blue irises.

"She's gone," he whispered to himself. "She's really gone."

He grabbed his knees together and sat on the chair while his body racked with the sobs erupting from him.

* * *

><p>The next day was pure torture.<p>

People walked the halls of Condor Studios in a dead silence. Never had they lost a fellow actor this way. They felt confused, saddened, _lost_.

The Randoms didn't come to lunch today. No one had seen any of them today. Chad had asked where they were but was told they were all at the Prop House.

Bracing himself for possible attack, he strode over to Stage 3. Wandering around for a sighting of any Random, he finally saw them at the Prop House.

They all sat around the table in the middle of the couches. If you didn't know them, you'd think they'd looked completely normal. But Chad knew if this was normal, they'd probably be laughing at some insane idea by Nico and Grady, crazy contraption by Zora, tedious Tawni tips from Tawni, or...

He couldn't even think of it.

"Hey," Chad broke the silence. All of their hooded heads shot up at the sudden sound.

"Cooper," Nico seethed, clenching his fists. Tawni put her hand over his.

"_Don't_," she warned.

"Why shouldn't I?" Nico cried. "Sonny wouldn't have left in the first place if it weren't for him,-"

"Sonny left because she needed to get away from all this," Chad defended himself.

"Then why was it so coincidentally after your breakup?" Grady asked.

Chad knew he was right, there. If it weren't for the breakup, she wouldn't have got the idea. She wouldn't have left them..._forever._

"Guys, please," Zora said. "It really isn't totally Chad's fault."

"It was Sonny's decision," Tawni added.

Nico shook his head.

"I think you need to leave, Chad," Tawni said.

Chad knew she was right.

* * *

><p>The guilt was eating Chad alive.<p>

_Why couldn't I just let her have the stupid award?_ he thought. He looked up to see said award right in front of him on hid awards shelf.

He glared darkly at it and took it from the shelf. His fists held tightly onto it. Just before he smashed it into pieces, he had a better idea.

"Attention, attention!" boomed the deep voice of Mr. Condor from the intercom.

"I need all actors to report to my office right now. That is all."

Chad sighed. He dropped the award on his vanity and left.

* * *

><p>"I think you all know why we're here," Mr. Condor started.<p>

The whole studio was here. Chad was with Mackenzie Falls but So Random! was right next to them. They shot him looks.

"We lost a beloved edition of our team yesterday, Miss Sonny Munroe."

Everyone's heads bowed down. Chad's eyes closed in pain.

"We will all miss her and cherish her memory. She was not only a talented actress, but a beautiful person. Her smile will forever haunt these hallways.

"But there's one thing we need to address at hand. We need a new member for the cast of So Random!"

Before the Randoms could begin to protest, he put his hand up as a warning.

"If you argue, you're fired. I know this is a big commitment to ask from anyone, but we need another member to complete the team. One of you actors playing a small role, are you interested?"

The room became full of hushed whispers. Who was willing to do the job?

"I'll do it."

Heads turned to the direction of the voice and gasped to see it coming from right next to the So Random! lot.

"I am willing to become the newest member of So Random!" Chad Dylan Cooper announced.

* * *

><p>"This is<em> insane!<em>"

"I won't allow it."

"I swear, I will quit."

"Why _him?_"

But the decision was already made.

Chad Dylan Cooper was the newest member of So Random! He was still going to be the star of Mackenzie Falls but now he was on double duty. His cast was mortified at his decision. They thought he was crazy.

"I'll still be with you guys," Chad reassured them. "I'll just be with them, too."

"_Why_ are you doing this?" Portlyn cried.

"Because I owe it to them," he explained before taking his bag and heading for the Prop House.

"Hey, castmates!" he cheerily greeted them, setting his bag down. Then, he noticed they had bags too.

"What? What are you guys doing?" he asked.

"We're not your castmates," Nico said. "We quit."

"_WHAT?_" Chad gasped. "Why?"

"We know why you're doing this," Zora said. "You wanna ruin this show just so you can have all the spotlight."

"Are you serious?" Chad couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Do you all really think_ that_ little of me?"

"You did it to Sonny," Tawni said.

_Ouch_, he thought.

"Look," he said, his expression going serious. "I'm not doing this to ruin your show."

"Then why on earth would _you_ join So Random?" Tawni asked. "You think we're a bunch of dummies from Chuckle City."

"Because I _need_ to," Chad said. "I _have_ to do this. Ever since I signed the papers to join, the guilt that was _killing_ me inside has gone away. I have_ got_ to do this!"

"What guilt?" Grady scoffed.

"If I hadn't been such an idiot, Sonny wouldn't have left and...died. I owe this much to her."

They all smirked, thinking this was some ridiculous joke. Chad shook his head in disgust and took his bag.

"Fine! Whatever, don't believe me! But I'm not going to stay if you all quit because I wanted to do this for Sonny and I can't do that without you all."

Just before he left the room, he set down a small parcel on the table. "Least I can do," he said, and he was gone.

"You don't seriously believe that sob story, do you?" Nico said. "I mean,_ Chad Dylan Cooper_ willing to join _Chuckle City?_ That's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"I know!" Grady agreed. "It's like seeing Dakota Condor skip through Condor Studios handing out treats to everyone."

"Zora? Tawni?" Nico called. "What do you guys think?"

Tawni and Zora didn't reply but stare at the item wrapped in the parcel Chad had left. Nico and Grady looked inside and gasped.

It was the Tween Choice Award.

_ You guys deserve this. I'm sorry for taking it away from you._

_ -Chad_

* * *

><p>"So...are you guys sure Chad's really not nice?" Tawni asked her castmates as they walked to the Commisary for lunch.<p>

"We can't trust him, Tawni," Zora said.

"Yeah. Without Sonny, our show isn't gonna be as good anyways. We don't need Pooper to mess it up even more," Nico said.

"Yeah, the guy doesn't have one funny bone in him," Grady also pointed out.

Tawni laughed. "True," she said while flipping her hair. "And I don't need anyone else to take my spotlight."

They all chuckled. It had been a while since Tawni had one of her Tawni comments.

"Wait," Zora whispered. "Does anyone notice anything different here?"

They all had sat at their usual table and noticed a certain difference in the kitchen.

"The MackFalls poster!" Grady noticed. "It's gone!"

"Yeah, it is," said a construction worker walking past them. "We've been ordered to change the Mackenzie Falls poster to a So Random! poster."

"So Random!" they all gasped, watching the man put up a poster of the four them laughing with the So Random! sign. "Who told you to do that?"

"I did," said the voice of Chad Dylan Cooper as he stood in front of their table. The Randoms stared at him in astonishment.

"You guys deserved the award, the recognition, and now the poster," Chad explained. "Now I'm giving it back to you."

"Chad, you can't put this poster up," Tawni told him.

"Look, you don't need to be modest-,"

"No, I mean, you're a missing a member of the show."

Chad stared at her, blankly. "Tawni, Sonny is-,"

"I'm not talking about Sonny," she smiled. "I'm talking about you."

Chad's eyes widened as he realized what she meant. "What?"

Tawni looked at her castmates in a questioning sort of way. They pursed their lips for a minute but then smiled.

"Chad Dylan Cooper," Nico said, rising from his chair and patting his back. "Welcome to So Random!"

Chad broke into a huge grin and pulled Nico into the hug. "Thank you," he whispered.

Then, he shoved him off, quickly. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Don't be, man," Nico smiled. "Looks like Sonny's rubbing off on you."

Chad couldn't help but smile at remembrance of Sonny's enthusiasm.

_"Sorry, I'm a hugger!"_

"Aww," Tawni said. "Come on everyone, group hug!"

Grady's brows raised. "Tawni Hart, calling a group hug?"

"For Sonny," she said as she pulled her four castmates together for a group hug.

"You know," Nico said, as they released each other. "I bet Sonny would be really proud of us if she were here today."

"She is here," Chad corrected him. "She always will be."

And as the sun's brightness rose at that exact moment, they knew it was true.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Chad!" the chipper voice of Selena Gomez called as she skipped in the room. "Show's about to start!"<p>

"One second, Selena," he said. "I just gotta..."

"...tell Sonny to wish you luck?" she teased as she pointed to the smiling picture of Sonny Munroe on his dressing room table.

Chad grabbed it and put in front of his heart. "Who told you?"

"Tawni." He groaned. "Don't worry, I think it's sweet. Remember, I always thought you'd be perfect for each other!"

Chad chuckled. "I remember that day."

"'Well, if I wanna think you have pretty hair, then I will!'" she mimicked in an uncanny imitation.

"That was pretty good," he nodded, approvingly.

"Thanks," she smiled. She looked at the picture with him. "You really miss her, don't you?"

"So much," he nodded.

Selena wrapped an arm around him. "Don't worry. She would be so proud to see you today."

"You really think that?" he asked.

"I know that," she winked. "Now, seriously, the show's about to start."

"Yeah, hold on, wait up. I gotta ask you something."

He rummaged through his drawers for a few minutes and finally pulled out a few papers and handed it to her.

Selena looked through them. "Sheet music?" It was titled _Skyscraper_. "Who wrote this?"

"Sonny," he said. "A while after she...passed, I helped her mom clear some things out. I took this picture," he pointed to the one they were looking at, "and found this in there. I remember the day before she died, I went to see her and heard her sing this song."

"It's beautiful," Selena whispered, reading the lyrics. "But why are you giving this to me?"

"Because this song is amazing and even though Sonny never got to sing it, I would love it if someone could let it be known in the world somehow. And you're a singer, so why not?" he shrugged while looking at her, hopefully.

"Oh, Chad," Selena said, her eyes glistening as she pulled him into a hug. "Thank you so much. I promise to make you - and Sonny - proud."

"Thanks, Selena," he smiled before heading off. "So let's get to the show!"

"Sure, just let me put this up first. You go," she ushered him away.

Selena flipped through the papers again, entranced at the beautiful message it showed and entrancing melody. She instantly loved it.

But she couldn't just keep this and sing it. She knew that. Selena hadn't gone through anything that had made her need to sing such an enchanting song. She could never fully put the emotion needed for this song.

Then, she realized there was someone who could. Someone who had just gone through a rough time. Someone who could sing this song as magically as it was supposed to be sang. Someone very dear to her. Someone who deserved it.

She pulled out her cellphone and dialed a number quickly putting it to her ear.

"Demi," she smiled. "I have found the most _perfect_ song for you."

* * *

><p><strong>Like it? This actually didn't end up being as good as I had imagined... I guess there are some thoughts that really just can't be put into words. But I hope you enjoyed it. :D<strong>

**I want to thank everyone - and yes, everyone - for just...everything. Even if you've never reviewed, favorited, or alerted my stories but simply read them... _Thank you. _Because you took out time of your life just to read something of mine. And for those of you enjoyed it... You have no idea how much that means to me.**

**To my dear friends, no I'm not leaving COMPLETELY. I will still make my occasional stops to the forum and PM all of you no matter how long it takes me. **

**Thank you thank you thank you thank you :D **

**Oh, and if you review? I'll love you soooo much more. (:**

**Best wishes,**

**Alexa Knight**


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